Yeah they announced it a few months ago - https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/05/apple-store-iphone-att-next-only/
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Carrier Tips for preordering via AT&T?
- Thread starter Nikos
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Yeah they announced it a few months ago - https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/05/apple-store-iphone-att-next-only/
The "get ready to preorder" link at apple.com said I have to make one more next payment thru AT&T before I can preorder.
If I order thru AT&T, they said I'd be ok because my auto pay kicks in before the phone delivers. But what happens if I go to Apple's next plan? Do I get a new phone number?
If I order thru AT&T, they said I'd be ok because my auto pay kicks in before the phone delivers. But what happens if I go to Apple's next plan? Do I get a new phone number?
No, you'd just be paying Apple instead of AT&T... and my guess is your NEXT monthly discount would also disappear.
When I talked to ATT a couple weeks ago about upgrade eligibility, they said even though I was fully upgradable on Oct 9, they would not move it up any at all. So good luck with that!
If i am using my mom's upgrade and getting an iphone. Before i plug it into my laptop/activate it. I should put my Sim card from my iphone 6 in it correct? Also do i then call AT&T and tell them that my mom does not have a smart phone and she still has her flip phone, so they can take off the data plan?
Also will my unlimited carry over? it should right if im just switching cards. I don't trust activiating it with her sim and calling ATT to switch the phones.. Am i making sense.
Also will my unlimited carry over? it should right if im just switching cards. I don't trust activiating it with her sim and calling ATT to switch the phones.. Am i making sense.
To do what you want to do, you'll need to go into an AT&T store. They can use her upgrade for your phone in store but not online, otherwise she'll have data added to her account and can't get it removed for two years.
Because I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan with AT&T and I update one of my two family's iPhones yearly, I always order at 3:00 a.m. EST (when pre-order is an option) on AT&T's site and every year I think it's going to go wrong and AT&T is going to mess me up. I'll do this again tonight (technically tomorrow) and I'll be nervous again, but I have to say AT&T has always (so far) come through OK every time. Last year I was done ordering online in like 3 minutes and phone showed up via FedEx on launch day.
So, to summarize, I'm cautiously optimistic it will work ok (for both of us).
--Best wishes!
So, to summarize, I'm cautiously optimistic it will work ok (for both of us).
--Best wishes!
I tried to do a quick run just to see how att upgrade would go, screens, prompts, etc. and when I get to my eligible lines and click on one it shows go to this:
Technical Difficulties
System Error
Thank you for using the AT&T Premier website.
We're sorry that Premier isn't responding immediately to your request.
Please call Premier Support at 1-866-499-8008, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time and refer to Technical Difficulties message (E900).
Thanks for your patience.
ANYONE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING? IS THERE A FIX FOR THIS? OR ANOTHER WAY TO NOT ENCOUNTER THIS?
Technical Difficulties
System Error
Thank you for using the AT&T Premier website.
We're sorry that Premier isn't responding immediately to your request.
Please call Premier Support at 1-866-499-8008, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time and refer to Technical Difficulties message (E900).
Thanks for your patience.
ANYONE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING? IS THERE A FIX FOR THIS? OR ANOTHER WAY TO NOT ENCOUNTER THIS?
Why would I not be able to get data removed? She isn't going to actually have an iPhone. That's just like if I were to put her sim in an iPhone. AT&T would know and add data automatically. But then if I called and put it back in a flip they would know.
This is the method what you use to pre order your iPhone?
The reason I asked is it looks like it's just for ordering but what you've said I think it looks like the iPhone 6s models will appear here at 12 am PST/3 am EST. Is that right?
Did you call the number listed for Premier Support? It seems like they would have a more accurate answer and provide more support than anyone here.
Hey. When clicking upgrade your phone. Will the the new iPhone show in the list of all of the iPhone's? Or do you have to go through a different link. When I transfer my upgrade I want to make sure I can then hit a preorder link.
Has anyone done this?
Has anyone done this?
This is all I want to know too. I want that subsidy. There is conflicting information now and I am confused. Is the subsidy for cell phones gone forever now? I have an old unlimited plan I want to keep. I DO NOT want to change to any Next plans or anything.
I also did chat with a AT&T Rep yesterday morning and I asked them what what they thought of the AT&T Next program, and they were like the AT&T Next program will coast you more money in the long run.
This what they told me:
"
Me: Ok, Just one more thing do you the AT&T Next worth doing?
AT&T : I can see here you still have the individual talk plan. I recommend it is cheaper if you will do the standard upgrade instead of AT&T Next. Since if you do the AT&T Next, you will have to pay the full retail price of the phone in equal installments for 20, 24, or 30 months.
Me : That is what I have thought
Me : I normally get my phone though Apple, but I know they took the 2 years contract option off, So looks like I'm going to my phone upgrades though AT&T
Me : Thanks
AT&T : Yes, bige12. In the long run, the AT&T Next will cost you more. If your phone is still perfectly working fine then I suggest we can wait for the standard upgrade.
This what they told me:
"
Me: Ok, Just one more thing do you the AT&T Next worth doing?
AT&T : I can see here you still have the individual talk plan. I recommend it is cheaper if you will do the standard upgrade instead of AT&T Next. Since if you do the AT&T Next, you will have to pay the full retail price of the phone in equal installments for 20, 24, or 30 months.
Me : That is what I have thought
Me : I normally get my phone though Apple, but I know they took the 2 years contract option off, So looks like I'm going to my phone upgrades though AT&T
Me : Thanks
AT&T : Yes, bige12. In the long run, the AT&T Next will cost you more. If your phone is still perfectly working fine then I suggest we can wait for the standard upgrade.
That true if you go though AT&T you can do the 2 year agreement
If I pre-order through Apple tonight (since I'm technically starting a new Next plan) how would AT&T receive my current trade in phone? Would Apple or AT&T send a pre-shipping box to mail back or should I stick with AT&T with this one?
Anyone done this before?
Anyone done this before?
Not sure if this is a detailed enough answer but according to the rep I talked to at the ATT store today they will either provide a method of direct shipment or you can take it to ATT store and they'll ship for you.
If AT&T didn't let me upgrade, being that close to eligibility, I'd definitely remind them that can easily take my money to another carrier, and can pre-order the iPhone 6S tomorrow morning.
I wouldn't even mind paying the overlap month in service, just to get away from a company that won't give me less than a month of grace to be able to order that phone tomorrow morning!
Carriers know the customer has the upper hand in the age of the growth of off-contract phones.
Use your leverage, with AT&T. Get that iPhone pre-ordered tomorrow at 3am, one way or another! Walk away from AT&T if you have to.
I have a 21% National Discount so not sure how that affects things, but unless they let me save $25 for each line if I bring my phone, I'm not going to save any money. Note 1 plan has unlimited, 1 has 200MB so it's $45 total for the data.
edit: ATT was ALREADY factoring in a $25 discount for 1 phone that is (nearly) off contract. So that price is a little misleading. It would normally be $180 (-$50 for 2 phones off contract) so $130 (-$21) National Discount so my bill would be $109 plus taxes which is ABOUT what I currently pay. But I would lose my unlimited and I would have to pay full price for phones. I don't see any reason to switch to NEXT plan. I could save if I could survive 2 plans on the 5GB plan, but that is pushing it I think.
edit 2: You only get $15 discount for each phone you bring with the 5GB shared plan. So 15GB Shared is probably a better deal, but both pretty much suck.
Final Thought: ATT NEXT is a BAD deal! At least for me.
edit: ATT was ALREADY factoring in a $25 discount for 1 phone that is (nearly) off contract. So that price is a little misleading. It would normally be $180 (-$50 for 2 phones off contract) so $130 (-$21) National Discount so my bill would be $109 plus taxes which is ABOUT what I currently pay. But I would lose my unlimited and I would have to pay full price for phones. I don't see any reason to switch to NEXT plan. I could save if I could survive 2 plans on the 5GB plan, but that is pushing it I think.
edit 2: You only get $15 discount for each phone you bring with the 5GB shared plan. So 15GB Shared is probably a better deal, but both pretty much suck.
Final Thought: ATT NEXT is a BAD deal! At least for me.
Last edited: